Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that altering Manchester United's formation due to public pressure would have meant "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim ditched his usual three-at-the-back formation with wide defenders and chose to use an orthodox back four with two holding midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the latter stages as his team dug in for a win - securing only their second clean sheet of the season.
Despite he once famously stated that even the Pope could compel him to change his approach, Amorim asserts the option to experiment with varied setups has consistently been part of his plan.
Yet, he emphasizes he could only implement the change when his team were doing at an acceptable level - or else it would look as if he was giving in to outside criticism.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I realized maybe I didn't possess the players to excel in that system, but it was the beginning of a journey," he stated.
"The goal was to establish an identity. Currently is a separate moment. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we must adjust, so they comprehend why we are switching things up.
"This isn't because of the pressure of the media, or the fans.
"Whenever the press talk about changing the system all the time, I can't change because the players will think I'm changing because of external voices and I believe that is a disaster for the manager.
"Once we are playing well in our preferred setup, that is the right time to change.
"We will develop into a better squad because when all the personnel are available, we are not going to play with three defenders exclusively."
Availability Crisis Loom Large
Having just two wins in their last eight outings before defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is accurate to say his side have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, working with a depleted roster, with seven first-team stars already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That figure will grow if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to shake off the knock that led to his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will be absent for the Wolves clash, even though he is understood to be pushing his boss to let him to make a comeback following his hamstring problem.
"Bruno is already insisting he has to practice," revealed Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. You can write that."
The Captain's Role Remains
Nevertheless, the Portuguese star will almost certainly continue to be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his leader to carry on offering insight.
"The guy is a natural leader," he affirmed. "He must not be that guy that when he is absent, he's silent and offering advice. He's constantly speaking. That's why he's the skipper.
"There are flaws sometimes - the way he gesticulates - but he has a multitude of good things. After he recovers, he goes to observe the other guys practicing. There are a many things you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Injured Players
While the precise date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow unavailable players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, United will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from continental competition.
